Taylor Sheridan may be best known for Yellowstone, but his secret movie trilogy that began in 2015 is actually better than his neo-Western series, and all three movies are available on streaming. Yellowstone and its spinoff shows have become mᴀssively popular in recent years, and for good reason. From Taylor Sheridan’s expert writing to the best acting performances in Yellowstone, the franchise effectively revitalized the neo-Western genre and became a sensation for a reason. As popular and successful as Yellowstone is, however, it’s still not Sheridan’s best work.

Taylor Sheridan has written six movies in the course of his career, and many of Sheridan’s movies are available to stream on Paramount+. Aside from Sicario: Day of the Soldado, most of Sheridan’s movies are standalone, original stories. However, Sheridan also has a secret trilogy of films that are loosely connected to one another, dubbed the “American Frontier” trilogy. Many fans of Sheridan’s may not even know which films are in the trilogy, but they actually consтιтute the best writing we’ve ever seen out of Sheridan before, and they’re even better than Yellowstone.

Taylor Sheridan’s American Frontier Trilogy Explained

Sicario, Hell or High Water, & Wind River Aren’t Directly Connected, But Share Similar Settings & Themes

Though they’re not directly connected to one another, Taylor Sheridan’s Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River make up the so-called “American Frontier” trilogy. They’re grouped together as a sort of trilogy because they all feature similar genres, settings, and themes. All three movies take place in remote, rural parts of the American West: Sicario on the Mexican border, Hell or High Water in rural West Texas, and Wind River in remote Wyoming. All three movies are also very closely linked thematically: they all tell stories about protagonists bucking the constraints of the legal system in search of true justice.

Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River basically function as a series because of their thematic similarities. A viewer could easily go from Hell or High Water, a commentary on the injustices of the banking system in America and the cycles of poverty many people are locked into, directly into Wind River, a commentary on how Indigenous people – especially women – are completely ignored by law enforcement and left to suffer and die on their own. In essence, the “character” that appears in all three “American Frontier” movies is the United States legal system and the oppression it wreaks on average Americans.

American Frontier, Not Yellowstone, Is Taylor Sheridan At His Very Best

Yellowstone Is Great, But American Frontier Is A Rich Tapestry Of Social Commentary & Thrilling Plots

Taylor Sheridan has written some amazing movies and shows over the years, and Yellowstone is certainly one of his crowning achievements. The generational tale of the Dutton family tree and their fight to preserve their land and legacy and all the interpersonal drama that comes with such a task is very compelling. Sheridan also mastered the shared TV universe with Yellowstone, and each spinoff show only adds to the Duttons’ centuries-long fight. As great as Yellowstone is, “American Frontier” is better. The Yellowstone franchise has a few problems, whereas “American Frontier” is nearly flawless.

All the things Taylor Sheridan’s writing has garnered acclaim for – his efficiency, his skill with crafting thrilling plots, and his topical and salient social commentary – are better displayed by “American Frontier” than by Yellowstone. Sicario, for example, is an action thriller with breakneck pacing that also manages to craft fascinating and fully realized characters. Wind River works as a revenge actioner, but it also shines a light on an all-too-overlooked social issue. Hell or High Water features arguably Sheridan’s best interpersonal drama between Toby and Marcus. There isn’t a single beat Sheridan misses throughout “American Frontier.”

The Yellowstone franchise, on the other hand, often has some glaring issues and structural problems that weaken the best parts of Sheridan’s writing. The serialized format means Sheridan can’t write hyper-efficient, fast-paced stories, which results in pacing issues like Spencer’s journey in 1923. Likewise, Yellowstone often feels more like a soap opera than a social commentary, and its themes are hardly as universal and applicable to modern Americans as his movies are. It’s still a great franchise, but “American Frontier” is the best display of how Taylor Sheridan became one of the most famous screenwriters in the world.

Taylor Sheridan Should Return To The American Frontier Movies

Sheridan Is Long Overdue For A New Movie, & His Social Commentary Could Be More Valuable Now Than Ever

Even though Taylor Sheridan’s writing was at its best in the “American Frontier” trilogy, his upcoming slate of projects is mostly centered around television shows and Yellowstone spinoffs. Out of all of Sheridan’s upcoming shows and movies, four of them are Yellowstone spinoff shows, and only one could be a movie. Aside from his upcoming adaptation of Empire of the Summer Moon, which might still be made into a show, Sheridan hasn’t written or directed a film since 2021’s Those Who Wish Me ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. It’s high time Sheridan returned to writing movies, and revisiting “American Frontier” could be the perfect way for him to do it.

America has changed a lot since 2017, when the final “American Frontier” film came out. “American Frontier’s” focus on social commentary and Sheridan’s opinions about the country could be even more valuable now than they were when he first wrote the trilogy. There’s no one better suited to telling stories about the challenges average Americans are facing and exposing injustices in the country. It would make a lot of sense, thematically, for Sheridan to return to “American Frontier.” While I and many other viewers are always happy for more Yellowstone, I think Taylor Sheridan’s talents would be put to better use in continuing “American Frontier.”